Narrative:

After pushback, we received clearance from cdg ground to taxi to takeoff holding point for runway 9R. We were located on taxiway a near ramp gate entry 4. Normal taxi flow is via taxiway a to join taxiway B adjacent to AD2, then continue wbound via taxiway B to taxiway bd and hold at taxiway Y1. As we approached taxiway B, copilot saw an airbus A340 approaching the same intersection on taxiway B also proceeding wbound at a very high taxi speed. Since the 2 txwys merge at an approximately 30 degree angle at that point, the copilot had to look right and aft. When he saw the A340, he yelled 'stop, we have an aircraft on our right.' I immediately applied maximum braking from approximately 8 KTS speed. No person on our aircraft was hurt. We estimated the A340's speed to be 25 KTS. Its wingtip cleared our cockpit by approximately 20 ft. This A340 was followed by a B747-400, also taxiing at the same rapid speed. We told ground control that we had not received instructions to give way to any aircraft and the controller said to us that he was sorry about the incident. When he switched us to tower later on during our taxi, he again apologized for the 'priority mistake.' this was a very serious situation. From our position on the taxiway it was very difficult to spot an approaching aircraft from behind us (4 O'clock position), especially one taxiing at high speed. 'If I had not made the abrupt stop, the A340 would certainly have hit us.' he was in no position to make a rapid stop (nor did he attempt to do so). What contributed to this situation are 2 items of concern: 1) there is a lot of frequency bleed through at this point of the airport on 121.6 making communications difficult. 2) the french controllers speak to crews in french which keeps everyone that does not speak french out of the loop. We did not understand any communication to both aircraft involved and, therefore, had no situational awareness of them until we saw them approaching from behind us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT THE INTXN OF TXWY OUTER A AND TXWY B AT LFPG (CHARLES DE GAULLE), 3 WDB ACFT COME WITHIN 20 FT OF EACH OTHER AT TAXI SPDS ESTIMATED AT 25 KTS.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK, WE RECEIVED CLRNC FROM CDG GND TO TAXI TO TKOF HOLDING POINT FOR RWY 9R. WE WERE LOCATED ON TXWY A NEAR RAMP GATE ENTRY 4. NORMAL TAXI FLOW IS VIA TXWY A TO JOIN TXWY B ADJACENT TO AD2, THEN CONTINUE WBOUND VIA TXWY B TO TXWY BD AND HOLD AT TXWY Y1. AS WE APCHED TXWY B, COPLT SAW AN AIRBUS A340 APCHING THE SAME INTXN ON TXWY B ALSO PROCEEDING WBOUND AT A VERY HIGH TAXI SPD. SINCE THE 2 TXWYS MERGE AT AN APPROX 30 DEG ANGLE AT THAT POINT, THE COPLT HAD TO LOOK R AND AFT. WHEN HE SAW THE A340, HE YELLED 'STOP, WE HAVE AN ACFT ON OUR R.' I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED MAX BRAKING FROM APPROX 8 KTS SPD. NO PERSON ON OUR ACFT WAS HURT. WE ESTIMATED THE A340'S SPD TO BE 25 KTS. ITS WINGTIP CLRED OUR COCKPIT BY APPROX 20 FT. THIS A340 WAS FOLLOWED BY A B747-400, ALSO TAXIING AT THE SAME RAPID SPD. WE TOLD GND CTL THAT WE HAD NOT RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO GIVE WAY TO ANY ACFT AND THE CTLR SAID TO US THAT HE WAS SORRY ABOUT THE INCIDENT. WHEN HE SWITCHED US TO TWR LATER ON DURING OUR TAXI, HE AGAIN APOLOGIZED FOR THE 'PRIORITY MISTAKE.' THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS SIT. FROM OUR POS ON THE TXWY IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SPOT AN APCHING ACFT FROM BEHIND US (4 O'CLOCK POS), ESPECIALLY ONE TAXIING AT HIGH SPD. 'IF I HAD NOT MADE THE ABRUPT STOP, THE A340 WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE HIT US.' HE WAS IN NO POS TO MAKE A RAPID STOP (NOR DID HE ATTEMPT TO DO SO). WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT ARE 2 ITEMS OF CONCERN: 1) THERE IS A LOT OF FREQ BLEED THROUGH AT THIS POINT OF THE ARPT ON 121.6 MAKING COMS DIFFICULT. 2) THE FRENCH CTLRS SPEAK TO CREWS IN FRENCH WHICH KEEPS EVERYONE THAT DOES NOT SPEAK FRENCH OUT OF THE LOOP. WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND ANY COM TO BOTH ACFT INVOLVED AND, THEREFORE, HAD NO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THEM UNTIL WE SAW THEM APCHING FROM BEHIND US.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.